CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION — SpaceX is proposing 44 Starship-Super Heavy launches a year from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A and the FAA wants to hear from the public.
What You Need To Know
- There will be three public talks; three in-person and one virtual
- Such things that will be discussed are potential environmental impacts
| Understanding Starship |
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Collectively known as Starship, it is a two-stage heavy lift launch vehicle that will be a fully reusable transportation system that has the capability to carry cargo and crew into Earth’s orbit, the moon, Mars and beyond. |
There are three upcoming meetings planned to showcase the potential environmental impacts of the proposed construction, launch, and landing operations of Starship.
“The proposal would also include Starship-Super Heavy launches at LC-39A; recoverable Super Heavy booster and Starship landings at LC-39A or on a droneship; and expendable Super Heavy booster and Starship landings in the ocean,” the FAA stated.
This proposed action is in addition to SpaceX's request to utilize Launch Complex 37 for its Starship-Super Heavy operations announced back in March, where they plan to launch.
FAA will hold three in-person meetings and one virtual meeting.
The Starship meetings
There will be two meetings held on Wednesday, June 12.
One at 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. and the other meeting at 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Both will be held at the Radisson Cape Canaveral, 8701 Astronaut Blvd., Cape Canaveral.
The third public meeting is on Thursday, June 13, 2024, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and it will be at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, Space Commerce Way, Merritt Island.
A virtual meeting will be held on Monday, June 17, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The URL and call-in number for the meeting can be found on the FAA's project website.
Back in 2014, the state of Texas gave SpaceX millions to establish its Starbase company in the Lone Star State to build and test the Starship. Once Starship has been given the clearance to fly crewed missions, it will do so from Cape Canaveral because the location is safer to fly over the ocean and it is closer to the equator to reach orbit.
In addition, the first official crewed assignment for Starship will be the third Polaris Dawn mission. Polaris Dawn program is designed to have private astronauts to demonstrate tasks that will further help human exploration of the moon and Mars.
The SpaceX’s Starship Super Heavy rocket will also return humans to the lunar surface under NASA’s Artemis program, with a targeted launch in September of 2026.